As a new parent, when you stray from the more popular and common baby names it’s usually because you want your little one to be unique.
While some might not mind that there were thousands of Olivias and Emmas born last year, according to the Social Security Administration’s naming data, others could choose to go in a less populated direction. But the answer to making your daughter’s name more unique isn’t just spelling it Olyvia, for instance.
“A lot of people try to create something unique by taking a name like Madeline and spelling it M-A-D-E-L-Y-N-N,” Laura Wattenberg, creator of Namerology, tells TODAY.com. “But uniqueness is about sound.”
Wattenberg used the example of Calliope and Madelynn. The two — spelled exactly the way listed — are equal in popularity across the US, she said. But the latter can sound just like the more common Madeline, depending on pronunciation.
“Calliope has an unusual rhythm, which makes it sound so distinctive,” she said. Therefore, it is “going to come across as far more unique.”
The expert also recommends taking a look at the other common names of the moment and examining them for trends — like what she calls the “rhyming generation”: Braden, Kayden and Zaydens. If you can identify a trend, she says, go in the opposite direction.
While it might be a little bit of extra work to come up with a unique name for your new baby girl, if it’s something you care greatly about, Wattenberg says it’s worth it.
After all, she says a unique name is “almost like a bespoke gift you’ve created for your child.”
“But at the end of the day,” she adds, “having a name that you love and that other people love when they hear it, is more important than having a name that no one’s ever heard.”
Seeking inspiration for a name that's less popular and more distinctive? Check out these suggestions.
A
- Adira
- Alara
- Allegra
- Alina
- Althea
- Amara
- Aurelia
- Arden
- Astrid
- Azura
- Aurea
- Ameline
- Azalea
- Arabella
- Alira
B
- Bellerose
- Blythe
- Bria
- Briar
- Briony
- Brisa
- Brynn
C
- Calliope
- Callista
- Camellia
- Cassia
- Calypso
- Circe
- Cressida
- Coraline
- Celeste
D
- Dalia
- Dahlia
- Danica
- Damaris
- Davina
- Delphine
- Dione
E
- Eirlys
- Elara
- Elodie
- Elowen
- Elysia
- Emrys
- Esme
- Evadne
- Eowyn
- Everly
- Ember
F
- Faelan
- Fable
- Fallon
- Fia
- Fleur
- Fionnuala
- Freya
- Fianna
G
- Galadriel
- Gaia
- Genevieve
- Gisela
- Giselle
- Greer
- Greya
H
- Halcyon
- Hannelore
- Harlow
- Haven
- Helene
- Hesper
- Hesperia
- Hera
I
- Ianthe
- Idalia
- Imani
- Imara
- Indira
- Isaura
- Isolde
- Isla
J
- Jacinda
- Jacinth
- Jessamine
- Jessamy
- Juno
K
- Kaia
- Kalina
- Katriel
- Keira
- Kerensa
- Keziah
- Ksenia
L
- Lark
- Leocadia
- Leonie
- Liana
- Liora
- Lilwen
- Lyra
M
- Maelys
- Maris
- Maura
- Mazarine
- Merryn
- Mireille
- Mirabel
- Meline
N
- Naida
- Niamh
- Nephele
- Nerys
- Nika
- Noemi
- Nyx
O
- Octavia
- Odessa
- Ondine
- Ophelia
- Oriana
- Orla
- Oona
- Oceane
P
- Paloma
- Parisa
- Penrose
- Persephone
- Petra
- Priya
- Priyana
Q
- Quinby
- Quinlan
- Quinleigh
- Quincy
- Quinn
R
- Rhiannon
- Romilly
- Romina
- Rosalie
- Rosamund
- Reyna
S
- Sabine
- Saffira
- Saffron
- Saskia
- Selah
- Selene
- Seraphina
- Serene
- Signe
- Solene
- Selina
- Seren
T
- Talia
- Talitha
- Tamsin
- Tavia
- Thalia
- Thalassa
- Tierney
- Tressa
- Thessaly
U
- Uma
- Umaira
- Ulani
- Una
- Ursa
- Urvi
V
- Valen
- Valeria
- Veda
- Vega
- Verity
- Vesper
- Vespera
- Vida
W
- Willa
- Winry
- Winslet
- Wisteria
- Wrenna
- Wynne
- Wylie
X
- Xandria
- Xanthe
- Xanthea
- Xara
- Xenia
- Xoe
- Xylia
- Xylona
Y
- Yamina
- Yara
- Yelena
- Ynez
- Yvaine
- Yvette
Z
- Zahira
- Zahra
- Zadie
- Zarina
- Zariah
- Zephyra
- Zephyr
- Zinnia
- Zosia
